Submitted by the San Juan County Land Bank.
A consortium of organizations is researching prescribed fire as a tool to reduce wildfire fuels in the San Juan Islands. Studies indicate that fire occurred every six to 15 years before Euro-American contact, with the Coast Salish people using controlled burns to maintain ecosystems for food, medicine and hunting. However, fire suppression and management changes have led to overstocked forests and high fuel loads, which provide increased wildfire risk.
The SJC Conservation Land Bank, Washington Department of Natural Resources, San Juan Islands Conservation District, Coast Salish Youth Coalition, Samish Department of Natural Resources and Western Washington University are partnering on a project to explore how small, controlled burns can reduce excess fuels and support native species ecology.
Join us for an in-person community discussion on the use of prescribed fire as a tool to reduce wildfire risk and restore native ecosystems. Learn about upcoming microburn trials at San Juan Island’s Mount Grant Preserve, ask questions and share your thoughts on fire management in our islands.
The event will run from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 13, at the San Juan Island Grange. Zoom option available. (https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82702950722 | Meeting ID: 827 0295.)
Topics to be covered include:
• How prescribed fire reduces wildfire risk.
• The role of fire in supporting native plant communities.
• Safety measures and planning involved.
• Indigenous fire stewardship and ecocultural restoration.
This is an opportunity to learn about upcoming microburn trials at Mount Grant Preserve, ask questions and share your thoughts on fire management in our region.
More information about the project can be viewed on the Land Bank website at www.sjclandbank.org/forestresiliency-mount-grant-preserve. If you have further questions, please contact Doug McCutchen at 360-370-7654 or email dougmc@sjclandbank.org.
San Juan County Conservation Land Bank, funded by a 1% real estate excise tax paid by purchasers of property at closing, acquires and preserves areas in the county that have environmental, agricultural, aesthetic, cultural, scientific, historic, scenic or low-intensity recreational value. Land Bank offices are located at 328 Caines Street, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. For more information about San Juan County’s Land Bank, visit www.sjclandbank.org.
